weekly snippets...

1. Mmmmm...Butter Pecan ice cream. It actually tastes like Aunt Jemima syrup with some roasted pecans tossed in, but it's rather delish. Seriously.

2. Yes, I am eating ice cream when it's 8 degrees outside...and now I'm paying for it. Fuh-reeeeeeeezing!

3. I went to Russ Yoga - yoga with ropes - tonight. Not what I expected. Not BAD. Just not at all what I expected in a yoga class. Maybe I'll try Bikram...it is cold enough to want to be hot.

4. I'm having "Miami Envy." Not really, because I really don't like Miami. But it's warm there and all my event peeps - all my favoritest ones - are there producing, playing, and, by now, boozing!

5. Is also missing NYC. More my friends, my lifestyle, the constant action, and yummy ethnic food...I guess I wasn't as ready for the diametric opposite of that life as I thought.

6. I think I should just sleep at the gym - now that I'm a member and have something to DO, I'll be there a lot. Like every day. ;)

7. That there's a pool at the gym is GRAND because I'm gonna be participating in my first (totally sprint distance) triathlon this year.

8. Even though I'm complaining about doing nothing, I actually have a lot to do. I'm working on a couple start-up projects with an age-old friend and a new-ish friend...and I'm Race Directing for the Girls on the Run of SE Michigan's 5k. Oh, yeah, and rewriting/configuring a charity running program. And maybe getting involved with a kids' triathlon. Um...I'm sure there's more. Yep - working some events...things are in the works!!!

9. Loves that Gweeee-ya gave me my birthday present that she started a gazillion years ago. I'm, literally, wearing from when I wake up until I go to sleep. Luckily it's a gorgeous color (very complimentary, I'm told), warm, and cool-lookin'! Sanks, bomb diggity friend!!!!

LOVE waking up to notes like this.

Out of the zillions of 'inspirational' sites out there, my favorite morning moment comes from this one. A "Note from The Universe" is a fantastic way to begin the day!

When in doubt, Hannah, show up early. Think less. Feel more. Ask once. Give thanks often. Expect the best. Appreciate everything. Never give up. Make it fun. Lead. Invent. Regroup. Wink. Chill. Smile. And live as if your success was inevitable, and so it shall be.

Happy global domination,
The Universe

I particularly liked this one this morning...simple, effective, and powerful.

Exercise is *not* "energizing" or "invigorating."

You're all liars. All you people who jump outta bed and exercise in the morning and say it's energizing and invigorating and you JUST COULDN'T START YOUR DAY WITHOUT IT are full of shizzle. Whether it's running, bootcamp, yoga...I don't care. Exercise in the morning does NOT pump me up.

It makes me want to take a nap.

Seriously.

I've been like this all my life. As an adult, I've always worked out at night. As a teenager, our practices (at least for the sports I was involved in) were always after school...not like those crazy Stateside swimmers! Even when I danced, class was always in the evening. My point? I'm an evening/night-time kinda gal. Maybe it's how I've been conditioned. Maybe it's just what my body is used to. But I don't think so...I've never been considered a "morning person." (Which makes race running somewhat problematic.)

I run (and work out) better in the evenings. Period. I'm much more intense, interested in the activity at-hand, and motivated. And then I can stuff my face and head to bed. Going waaaaay back, I can even remember coming home from track practice (love you, Mr. Birch!) and crashing...without even eating dinner. And you folks wondered why I got so skinny sophomore year?

Right now, in this very moment, after running on the treadmill for 45-ish minutes this morning, all I want to do is go take a nap. My eyelids are supremely heavy, even after 2 huge mugs of java. In fact, I might just go do that...

Moral of the long-winded story: early morning exercisers are crazy.

Just sayin'...

my brain only has room for short thoughts...

1. Tried a new ab workout for the last few days...but what hurts the most is NOT my abs, per se. The opposite of my obliques on the backside hurt - not the spinae erectae (or however that's supposed to be spelled), but one muscle closer to my sides. Anyone?

2. Joined a gym so I can actually run and not turn into a marshmallow. Realized after a gazillion years of avoidance, I like the treadmill. A lot.

3. I did find out today, though, that I don't like it when someone gets on the treadmill right next to mine. Especially when there are 11 out of 12 treadmills available. I loathe Space Invaders!

4. This habit of "reconnecting" that I've started is getting mildly terrifying. Why? I just found out that there's a facebook page for my old dance company/school in Kuwait. And it's the same owner/teacher - 20+ years later. (PS She was in her late 50s THEN)

5. I'm really glad that I found out I can hide my online status for facebook. That way no one can tell that I'm never really off it...I know. I have issues.

6. I REALLY have issues with word games. My cuz, thanks Daily Grace, got me hooked on Word Twist and now every word I read, I'm stopping to figure out how many words I could make out of it and would I beat my highest Word Twist score?!?! Makes reading a book - or even Perez Hilton and The Superficial - rather tedious.

7. My "stripper name" (anyone else get that email?) would be Heidi Sparkle. Boo. Not nearly creative enough and certainly doesn't showcase the fact that I can tassel twirl like a pro...even makin' 'em go in different directions.

Just sayin'...

8. At any given time, I have about 8 Scrabble games going. I'm sooo happy I'm not the only word addict. My addiction is proving to be fruitful, though: I just won a night of free Sangria guzzling. Although, Morgan's the only one that can testify as to what happens when Hannah drinks a bottomless vat of Sangria. Heh.

9. Anyone have a winning Lotto ticket they'd like to donate? I want to get out of this F-R-I-G-I-D (like my Scrabble-playing even whilst writing?!) weather and set up shop on a secluded beach in Costa Rica where I can do yoga in the morning, kayak in the afternoon, run in the early evening, and drink beer all night. Oh yeah and sleep in a hammock on the beach. [NOTE: that last one really is one of my life goals.]

Yep, you can tell life is quiet. I'm trying to maintain Big Picture perspective and use this quiet time 'responsibly' (see my post about my reading list), but I'm definitely antsy. Hopefully the gym will help...or at least get me on a much more regular sleeping pattern.

smooches!
h

I should probably check with the fantastically creative, imaginative, Superbrain Frank to see if he minds me sharing his intellectual property...but somehow I think he won't mind. I can't lie, while they don't deviate much from my life's details and would probably do a horrendous job at "protecting the guilty," I cracked up when I read the below email.

Frank, you rock! And I reeeeealllllyyyyy can't wait for you kids to be closer...again.

Email from Frank:
The topic is obvious: Peggy Sue Smith from Somewhere, Georgia, is getting frustrated with her life in the US and going on a Tour of the World (with little money). Her journey leads to Üzkemer (which is probably near Izmir) where a guy named Metin Üzbircli (you may slightly change the names) falls in love with her after seeing her on the local beach. Metin is also the local judge and mayor and the only way he thinks he can keep Peggy Sue in his small stinking village is to arrest her and put her in prison for a few weeks. Done deal. However, for Peggy Sue the beginning of a new career. Already in prison, she gets to know the local customs and starts to influence people. Instead of leaving the place after her release, she stays, and please fill the blanks here, becomes the first female mayor. The stinking village becomes .. and so on.

Alternatively, and I cannot believe you didn't think about this before, you write about Nikolaos Papadopoulus, star fighter pilot of the Greek Air Force. He gets shut down patrolling the Greek-Turkish borders along the Ageaen Sea after being blinded by the cosmetic mirror of the German sunbathing tourist Elke Herpolzheimer. He survives, but is not found - at least not by the Greek Secret Service. Instead he also (quite like Peggy Sue) decides to take on a new life in Turkey. He is taken in by a Turkish family - the butcher, his wife the hari dresser, and their two sons. Nikolaos changes his name, does not become a butcher, but the mayor which is almost the same in this little village. You continue please...

Love, Frank

Discuss.

found out about this site tonight....

I'm a sucker for catchy advertising and websites, but this is also a cause I've long been connected to. My 'problem' with the typical ad campaigns for most causes is that the call-to-action can be rather tame...why play it safe? Especially when it pertains to your health.

Breast cancer - and many others - is a highly treatable cancer if found in the early stages. Feeling yourself up can certainly help you (women AND men) stay in touch with your body and notice any changes...so, do it!

Back when I worked for the Avon Walk, I was leading an information session out on Long Island and mother in her late 40s wanted to share a story. Her story wasn't actually about HERSELF even though her family had a high occurrence for breast cancer. Her story was actually about her son...how her 20 year old son had noticed a change in his 19 year old girlfriend's breast. She got a little uncomfortable talking about her son's sex life, but she was obviously proud that he'd, truly saved a life. How? Well, the girlfriend went and got herself checked out. She was diagnosed with breast cancer that was caught in a very early stage. True story!

Moral of the story: get yourself felt up!

I can make suggestions if you reeeealllyy need me to. * wink, wink.

a reading recap...

In my quiet time of the last few months, I've created the most well-loved and -used library card in Washtenaw county. No joke. So, I thought I'd share some my fave books...and ask for suggestions!

Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society - In a word, AMAZING. Stands out from other books for so many reasons. It's told completely through letters - as in hand-written letters, which I thought would be a turn off...and I was soooo wrong. I FLEW through this book!

I Have Fun Everywhere I Go - Flying through this right now...a riot!

Anything by Kathy Reich (murder mystery), Ian Rankin (murder mystery), or James Patterson (yep, murder mysteries). I shoulda been a detective.

Reading now:
Good to Great


Want to read:
RenGen
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

NOTE: This list will be continually updated.

Writing a book? Um. Ok.

It's been suggested to me over the years that I should write a book. And, truth be told, I've always felt like I had a book in me to write. But what the eff should I write about?

Fiction? Well, I'm really only a good creative writer about, um, well, one subject. And I'm not going back down that road at the moment.

Technical writing? Booooooo-hooooo-riiiiiing. I've done more than enough of that professionally.

My life? Have I done anything that interesting? Inspirational? Or is there enough fodder for comedy? It'd end up being a collection of short snippet-y chapters about some of the ridiculousness that's made up my life.

- Like when we were going to Egypt and I took the wrong passport...and didn't realize until we were just about to get on the plane to Cairo in Istanbul. And we lived in Izmir.

- Or mine & Ms. Cassidy's democratic approach to watching movies. (I think it's funny.)

- This last round in Vegas was a story unto itself.

- My mid-20s...yes, I'd change everyone's names to protect the truly guilty, me included. ;)

- I'm not kidding about the "puke around the world" stories. My sister and I can crack ourselves up retelling them over and over and over again. There are some speTACular moments...

Suggestions? Thoughts? Memories I've chosen to forget or just refuse to remember?! Fire away, kids!

life theme of late.

So, I'm playing around with social networking as a publicity tool. Why? Well, it seems to be a current theme regarding almost every project I'm involved with lately. From volunteer 'stuff,' to some work opportunities, to, well, some shameless self-promotion.

I'm also doing a veritable shit-ton (yes, Douglas, I totally credit you with introducing me to that word!) of writing...personal writing, several different freelance projects, and yet more for the future. Good times!

Thanks to SAS for giving me a swift kick to the arse and giving me an on-going opp to expand my writing resume.

Stay tuned, kids...gonna be - as always? - a wild ride!

OHMIGOD.

So, in response to my facebook status update about how Band-Aids really DO make the booboos feel better, one of my friends told me about her bacon and eggs bandaid Christmas present.

Google to the rescue - 'cuz I HAD to find these - and check this out. How freakin' cool is that?! Scroll down. Didja see the just plain bacon bandages? And the PIRATES????? How fun are these?!?!?!

I almost want someone to get sick/hurt (no, not REALLY) just so I can send a "Get Well Soon" care package of all sorts of fun Band-Aids!!!

"Doctor, we might have to amputate."

No, I hope and pray that it won't get there, but my finger is not happy. I've never had any type of infected cut - or at least not one that worried me like this. How'd it start? Damned cuticle...and now it's infected.

How infected? Well, my one finger is roasting hot and the rest are freezing. (Heat is a sign of infection, BTW.) It's also red, super swollen, and rock hard. And tingles. Even after 3 vinegar/hot water soaks, the infected area did spread a little overnight, so I'm watching it diligently.

Why not go to the doctor? They'll put me on antibiotics and I'm allergic to most of them and react poorly to the others (think extreme gastrointestinal distress and the fun that goes along with that). So, don't want to go that route.

We'll see what happens...and if it looks gangrenous, I'll go to the Doctor. Deal? I definitely don't like the idea of amputation.

my new crush.

I LOVE this show. Love it. The host, Adam Richman, is funny AND a glutton. Awesome!

please stand by...

Sorry, dove into a writing hole and have yet to come out. Yes, I know *this* is writing, but the 'other' stuff is writing I'm getting paid for...and it's interesting schtuff.

Stay tuned.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...er, rather, 2009!

Ok, ok, so, Michigan definitely LOOKS like Christmas...and keeps looking more like it with every storm! My Dad flew in this year, so our entire family was together for the first time in 4 years - and the "Plus 1" of a new, delicious nephew.

2008 and was a crazy year for me. In short, in attempting to figure out what my "next step" should be, I left NYC hoping to find that ever-elusive thing called "clarity." What happened? Well, I'm more muddled than ever...but thoroughly enjoying hanging out with the family and teaching my nephew how to be a pirate. I'm determined to be Cool Aunt H. Although my timing couldn't have been much worse to return to Michigan - a financial collapse, the Big 3 taking a nosedive, and the holidays all coinciding, thankfully, the transition into a new year is bringing up some interesting opportunities. And, yes, I think I might be sticking around the good ol' A-Deuce for a while.

"His mother had often said, When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. She had emphasized the corollary of this axiom even more vehemently: when you desired a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it." - Lois McMaster Bujold, "Memory", 1996

What I don't have for y'all this time around are words of profundity. Or life experiences that could shake, rattle, and roll. Life is quiet. And THAT is unusual for me...taking some patience and acceptance, fo shizzle. I've never been good at 'quiet.' I'm sure that I'll look back on this mini-chapter and wish I'd appreciated the quiet more. I'm just too used to being a "do-er" and am therefore frustrated...and taking it out on my poor body! (Don't ask me about working out, running, or yoga - I'll bore you to tears!)

"You must pray that the way be long, full of adventures and experiences." - Constantine Peter Cavafy

If there was ONE thing that I had to pick out of 2008 that was the best thing ever, wanna know what I'd choose? The people I found, those that found me, and my existing friendships that deepened amazingly. I've long been grateful for the wonderful people in my life, but 2008 kicked 'grateful' up a notch - or seven! I met some of the most life-changing friends in 2008...and reconnected with more! (Gotta love "social networking"!)

"There are people whom one loves immediately and forever. Even to know they are alive in the world with one is quite enough." - Nancy Spain (NOTE: these are the kinds of friends I have!)

But, really, I think I might be making life more complicated for myself than it needs to be. One of my goals for 2009 is to go back to Dr. Seuss: "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

I wish for all of us a year of change, welcoming that change, prosperity, and love! May your year be as quiet or noisy, yet full as you desire...

An eternally grateful + 7 notches,
Hannah

PS Yes, you are, as my momma says, THE BEST!

someone on facebook doesn't know me very well.

'They' sent me one of those stupid application thingies...this one's for the "Nicest Person Award." Seriously? I'm many a thing, but not 'nice.'

Kind.
Compassionate.
Engaging.
Charismatic.
Blunt.
Direct.

Nice? Notsomuch. Just sayin'...

Crawford, I friend break up with you immediately.

And need to make a public declaration.

No milk is fine. No eggs is weird for sure. But NO CHEESE? I heretowith cancel our friendship of nearly 10 years immediately.

There is nothing you can do to make it up to me. 'cept eat stinky cheese with me. Or make me a frittata.

Done. O-V-E-R.

age-old debate...

to have boyfriend jeans? or to not have? For me - a "big" girl at 5'10" and unmentionable pounds - it's a requirement of any man I date that I fit into his jeans. Why? Well, it means he's larger than me in girth and (if there's a Gawd) height, as is my preference. And I can feel like a delicate little flower.

Why ELSE would a girl want to hang out with all the football players at MSU? Their intelligence? Hell to the naw! I was petite. For the first time. Ever. Well, since Erik Wold - 'Daddy Longlegs' to my 2nd grade 'Mommy Longlegs' - was taller than me when we were 8...

I mean, really. REALLY?!

new features.

Home and feeling sick, so thought I'd play around with my blog. And maybe finally send out my holiday email. Maybe.

Added a poll feature. And a blogroll feature. If you have a blog, LEMME KNOW...I need good reading and some vicarious living.

And, yes, I'm still on the job hunt. Wouldyaknow that the UofM said I'm "over-qualified" and need to dumb down my resume before they can place me? Nice.

Ok...back to crap TV, er, the news.

proof that underneath it all...

I'm really catty, shallow beeeyotch.

1. I don't mind sitting on the couch stuffing chicken pot pie in my mouth and cheering on the Biggest Loser contestants.

2. I think there should be a Biggest Loser for 'normal' weight folks to get in kick ass shape...I'd love to win $250k.

3. I get irrationally irritated when I see overweight/obese people eating really unhealthy, sugar-filled, processed food.

4. My friend Liz was gonna quit her job and do nothing but train for triathlons. Now THAT'S the kind of "lady who lunches" I could be!

5. I really enjoy shows like the Rock of Love. I love watching seriously, SEEEEEriously trashy women, er, SHOWS, like that and knowing that I could never sink that low. Talk about esteem-boosting, eh?

6. I drink while watching Intervention. Until it gets too depressing and I forget that I'm drinking. Sadly, it reminds me of two of my bestest friends - K-dawg and MickeyG. Shout out! (Not because they're on it...we just used to watch it together. And drink.)

7. Of the Real Housewife shows, I like Atlanta the best...it's SOOOOO awful and shallow.

I'm sure there's more...so I'll update you on my shallow cattiness,

a smorgasbord of exercise...

to try and get myself out of my 'debbie downer' mood today, i tried just about every type of exercise i could get my hands - hands? - on: i ran, i took the dogs for a long walk, i did a half hour of yoga, and i even did a bunch of core work. i might use the fitness ball for back and more abs later...

did it work? a little. but not really.

doldrums. good times.

Resolutions for 2009. Or are they just 'goals'?

1. Find a full-time job, but not necessarily make it a 'career.'

2. Run a sub-2 hour half marathon.

3. Get either a Yoga for Runners, YogaKids, or "plain" yoga certification.

4. Get health insurance.

5. Wean myself off my asthma meds.

6. Compete in my first sprint distance triathlon with Ms. Whitney.

7. Complete business plan for and set in motion at least ONE of my entrepreneurial ideas.

8. Take a writing class, start a book club, find a running club.

9. Fall in love. Which, yes, means dating. (and I'm really trying to NOT groan at the idea of dating.)